Through the medium of poetry, language catches up with the radical politics of the present moment. In May 1966, the inaugural issue of Resurgence magazine was released, available for two shillings and sixpence. In those pages, Beat poet Michael Horovitz published a poem titled ‘For Modern Man’, navigating the sublime entanglement between the absolute horror and elusive seduction of nuclear warfare. The poem closes with these words:

Not in fascinated fear – as moths fight the light
– as though the atom were the monster
when it’s we who ...

 

There are approximately 750 more words in this article.

To read the rest of this article, please buy this issue, or join the Resurgence Trust. As a member you will receive access to the complete archive of magazines from May 1966.

Buy Issue Join Us

If you are already a member, please Sign in